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Beaufort and Hilton Head - February 23rd, 2004
supplied by: Capt. Mike Upchurch
FISHING: Good
Tides South Carolina [click here]
Overcast skies and cold temperatures have given away to milder conditions and bright sun in the Lowcountry. We pounced on the opportunity to get on the water in search of schools of redfish on the flats and we were not dissappointed.
Today we fished deeper flats on a falling tide with fly rod only. My friends from Rhode Island were basking in the sunshine and 70 degree temperature while doing an excellent job managing the fly line. These guys came to play if you know what I mean. They were prepared and ready. Their casts were accurate and timely and as a result, they slayed the reds with an assortment of flies. We fished heavy, dark brown shrimp patterns while the water was up and switched to slightly lighter clousers as the flats became shallower. The breeze picked up this afternoon but we kept the boat between the wind and the fish so casting was not difficult. Remember to make arrangements to manage your fly line if it gets blowy and your line is blowing off the casting deck or wrapping around your feet. Take a step back and strip your fly line into the cockpit or simply step down into the cockpit and cast from there. Your guide can spot fish from the poling platform so you needn't worry if visibility isn't as good. It's more important to have the line in order for you to make a timely and accurate cast. If it gets too frustrating with the wind blowing and your line flying around, wind up, rack the long rod and pick up a spinning rod. The idea is to enjoy yourself and catch a fish or two.
Spring time isn't far away but there's lots of redfish to chase until the cobia show up. Let's go fishing...............................
Weather and Lunar Phases
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Beaufort and Hilton Head - February 10th, 2004
supplied by: Capt. Mike Upchurch
FISHING: Good
Tides South Carolina [click here]
Working through the ever changing weather patterns this time of year is at best laborious and at worst raising my frustration level to epic porportions. Cold fronts have been movng through the Lowcountry every few days bringing clouds, wind and rain. We can deal with overcast skies if it's not windy. We can deal with windy days if it's sunny. If it's overcast and and honking we're pretty much screwed. Good fishing days have been almost non-existent and decent fishing days have been relatively few. The fishing has been outstanding when the weather is good but man, it's been difficult weather-wise. Now, before my friends in Seattle, Anchorage, Ohio, Michigan, New York, Tennessee, etc. call and tell me I don't know what bad weather is, put a sock in it. I realize its much worse on you guys and I know I'm whining like my ex-wife but every now and then a little bitching is good for you. Ok. Now I'm better.
The good weather days have yielded excellent numbers of redfish in the 6-8 lb range. Some schools have been really huge but most in the 40-50 fish size. Darker grubs have been the ticket with gold spoons doing ok. I scaled down to 1/4 oz grub heads at times because the fish have been a little spooky in the gin clear water. Less disruption on the cast is the way to go subsequently, flies have been killer. Light, virtually soundless presentation is a good thing. Small clousers and shrimp patterns tied to 12 lb tippet on a 9-10 foot leader has been deadly. Accuracy, as always, is a must so practice your casting (fly and spin) and you will be a much happier fisherperson.
Spring is just around the corner( for those of us sane enough not to live with Nanook of the North) and that means COBIA can't be far away. Hoowah! How about a 50 lber cruising the surface at 60 feet and headed directly to the bow.............makes me quiver like a chinchilla.
Weather and Lunar Phases
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Beaufort and Hilton Head - January 18th, 2004
supplied by: Capt. Mike Upchurch
RECORDED: 
71 °
FISHING: Good
Tides South Carolina [click here]
Winter fishing in the Lowcountry can give us the best of times and the most difficult of times when it comes to sight fishing for redfish. Bright days and light winds allow for extrordinary days on the flats while cloudy, blustery days make for lots of hard work and concentration from both guide and angler. Success can be had under both sets of conditions but it takes commitment from all aboard to make the day.
We pursued reds on fly this week and it was especially difficult with 10-15 kt winds from the Northeast. Any time there is a 10 kt or better wind over the angler's casting shoulder, pinpoint accuracy can be a problem for the most proficient fly caster. Be that as it may, the reds were there and we kept after them. We stayed on lots of fish in the 5-8 lb range but had problems with fly location. My friend Perry did a good job dealing with the wind using an assortment of casts and finally we were able to get good angles on the fish but then what? They no eat the fly. Fly too bright. Change fly to darker shrimp pattern. Make good cast. Redfish eat fly. Everybody happy. It's that simple. Good color in the right spot and the game becomes very easy although that is much easier said than done.
Another trip this week with light tackle found good numbers of reds but reluctant to eat artificials. Both spoons and grubs were refused time after time. I suspect a school of porpoises(porpoisei?) had not long before terrorized the flat we were on so the fish we were chasing were probably a little freaked out. I finally left them after a number of well placed lures yielded nothing and found other unmolested schools. Rootbeer with a chartruese tail did the trick for us there. Slooooow retrieve on cold water reds seems to work best. The gold spoon worked well if a "cheater" was attached.
Sunny days will usually provide the best bite this time of year but you have to go when you can. If conditions are not perfect, deal with it and do the best you can. The fish are still there and they will eat something at some point. You have to figure out what, where and when. It's easy if you say it really fast.
Keep check on the usual maintenance for your trailer and don't forget to check the water separator on your engine's fuel line. Put on plenty of warm clothes and let's go fishing.........................
Weather and Lunar Phases
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Beaufort and Hilton Head - January 7th, 2004
supplied by: Capt. Mike Upchurch
RECORDED:
71 °
FISHING: Good
Tides South Carolina [click here]
South Carolina Fishing Report for:
Beaufort and Hilton Head (inshore).
Updated: January 06, 2004. Let's hope the fishing for the balance of '04 will be as good as the beginning. The weather since Christmas has been truly phenominal. Calm winds, bright sun and air temps in the 70's has made for near perfect conditions for sightfishing in the Lowcountry. Water temp is 52 and clarity is like gin.
Most of the old standby flats are holding decent schools of reds but I have found tons of fish in spots barren of fish for years. These boys haven't been molested and have been taking flies and other artificials with reckless abandon. Dark shrimp patterns with a touch of orange have been effective of late. Be mindful of really bright flies while the water is very clear. If the fly is presented well, it will still be eaten but a cast too close will likely result in a spooked fish. The darker patterns have worked well even when plunked into the middle of a large school.
If you find the fish a little spooky, tie in a lighter tippet. If you're tossing artificials with a super braid, you may need to tie on a 24" mono leader to the lure. None of these things are a lead pipe cinch but things to be aware of and to try if the fish aren't eating readily.
This time of year redfish will gather in schools of 15-30 and can gather in schools of a few hundred. This is a sight to behold to be sure but bear in mind these fish are in a vulnerable state and we must excersize sportsmanship and restraint. If you find a nice school of reds and really whack them for a while, leave them and find another school. Schools of reds are similar to a covey of bobwhites. If you hunt the same covey day in and day out you will shortly annihilate the covey. In other words, you kill them all. If you pound a school of reds and only take the limit, sooner rather than later you will destroy the school. I know of two spots in the Beaufort area and one near Hilton Head where there are really nice schools of big reds but the word is out through the usual gator mouthed fishermen and these fish are being hammered to death. One spot had four boats on it for 5-6 hours this past Sunday. A spot in Beaufort had 12 boats in a 150 yard area! I promise you those fish will be eliminated shortly. Use good judgement and the resource will prosper.
The Shallow Water Fishing Expo is in Charleston, SC this weekend. Hope to see you there or at the Coastal Conservation Association oyster roast Saturday night. It's time to party a little.........then we'll go fishing.
Weather and Lunar Phases
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Beaufort and Hilton Head - December 30th, 2003
supplied by: Capt. Mike Upchurch
RECORDED:
64 °
FISHING: Good
Tides South Carolina [click here]
Happy Holidays to you all. It's time to get back to the really important things.....like fishing.
It has been cold as a well digger's butt here in the Lowcountry but the fishing has been heating up. The flats are gin clear and the redfish are tightly schooled and HUNGRY.
I fished with good friends Al and Steve this weekend and we gave the reds all they wanted. Or maybe they gave us all we wanted. Be that as it may, we torched a couple of flats for large numbers of reds in the 5 to 8 lb range with one a bit over 9 lbs. Many different lures were used and I don't recall a refusal on any well placed cast. Al whacked a few with a Red Ripper, then a gold grub, then a chicken and then I lost track as he changed lures every 5 or 6 casts. My man Steve just kept chunking the chicken(yes ,chunking)and cranking 'em in. Since I was fishing with friends and it was my boat, I got to fish too. I tossed gold flake grubs all afternoon and was quite pleased with the results. All fish were released in good health though a few needed a little extra care. Remember, this time of year with low water temps, redfish become stressed easily as thier metabolism slows. Bring fish to the boat quickly and release them with as little handling as possible. Set your drag properly, work your rod in the opposite direction the fish is moving and you will whip even the largest reds in a minute or two. If your buddy is fighting redfish too long with a light drag, tell him to crank his/her drag down and get the job done. It's senseless to fight a fish for too long when you intend to release it anyway. Make sure the fish is frisky before you release it from your Boga or hand.
Weather and Lunar Phases
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Beaufort and Hilton Head - November 25th, 2003
supplied by: Capt. Mike Upchurch
FISHING: Good
Fall fishing has arrived with a blast as redfish have come together in good sized schools and are chasing shrimp and finger mullet on the flats.
Recent excursions have produce good numbers of reds on gold spoons and soft plastics as well as live shrimp. Chartruese with salt and pepper back and a black 5/8 oz C.A.L. jig head has been a killer.
I have said many times fishermen must be aware of what's happening around them as the day wears on so changes in tactics can be made as needed. Point in case. We were tossing live shrimp under a Thunder and several times while retreiving the float, a redfish would blow up the float. It only took me about six times of seeng the float blown out of the water to figure out the boys would likely hit a top water lure. Duh. I tied on a black/chartrues She Dog. Booyow. Loads of fun. No, I didn't ride the short bus to school but I was a bit slow on this one for sure.
Fly fishing has also been productive around low water. Different variations of shrimp patterns with lots of gold or rootbeer(copper)have been aggressively eaten. I've seen redfish bolt to a shrimp pattern from 10 feet away in clear water. Another point to ponder when retrieving the fly. We talk about variation of speed and length of the strip when retrieving the fly if it's "in the fish" and you get refusals. I was fishing with a guide buddy last week and we were in large schools of pigs but couldn't get a take on fly. I changed flies a few times and after a cast to the edge of a school, I stripped a few times, got no take, stopped and looked at my buddy in frustration, and picked up the fly from about 40 feet to make another cast. Booyow. The big red nailed the fly while it rested on the bottom. Coincidence. No sir. My buddy Josh did the same thing ten minutes later. Letting the fly drop and sit is just another variation of the retrieve. Try it sometime.
Weather and Lunar Phases
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Beaufort and Hilton Head - October 30th, 2003
supplied by: Capt. Mike Upchurch
FISHING: Good
This week the Lowcountry has seen extreme high tides allowing for opportunities for tailng redfish in the spartina grass. Those of you that have not experienced tossing flies or lures to redfish standing on their heads with tails waving like flags above the surface are missing one of the truly exciting aspects of saltwater angling. Seeing a tail break the surface from a distance will make your heart race. Seeing a tail as big as your outstretched hand and forty feet away will make your heart STOP. Cold. No breathing. No noise. Vapor lock. Just a little prayer saying "Please,please let me make a good cast."
That's exactly what my friend Eric did. He is a trout guide in Pennsylvania and a fine fly caster but, per his admission, had only been in a boat once before and had never thrown a fly to a saltwater fish. The wind was up a bit but as we rounded a bend in Whiskey Creek and slipped on to a high water flat protected from the wind, it was like entering another world. Suddenly it was very quiet and the water was gin clear. I eased the Maverick from pocket to pocket making little, if any noise. The sun was high and visibility was drop dead. Neither Eric nor I said a word for fear of disturbing a perfect set up. We saw a few fish that spooked immediately but soon Eric got his first ever shot at a tailer. His cast was a bit too close and the 7-8lber blew out and raced away. Eric turned to me and let out a big sigh. Oh yeah. Serious buck fever baby.
A bit later, I spotted a cruiser coming directly to us in a wide open pocket. As the fish approached, Eric laid out a nice soft cast but the redfish turned ever so slightly and swam just under the 8lb leader. When the fish cleared the leader I whispered,"Just flip it to your left and just in front." Man, Eric lifted the fly silently and flipped it to the exact spot I was looking. Again I whispered,"Stip it now." He did and BOOYOW! The red slammed the shrimp pattern and hauled ass. It was a classic take that was maybe 25 feet from the boat in crystal clear water. Eric brought the six pounder to my hand shortly and we both savored the moment after the customary photo documentation. He will replay that scene in his mind, as will I, for years to come.
Maybe some of you hardcore guys thinks I'm embellishing the excitement aspect of tailing redfish a bit too much. Get on the bow of my boat with your favorite rod and I'll get you within whatever range you say and then when that tail rises above the surface and lazily waves this way and that, you're on stage. It's all you baby. All you have to do is produce. Now. It surely is fun whether you produce or not. Let's go fishing.........................
Weather and Lunar Phases
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Beaufort and Hilton Head - September 26th, 2003
supplied by: Capt. Mike Upchurch
FISHING: Good
Fall is here and that bodes well for chasing redfish here in the Lowcountry. Flies, artificials, and live bait are all doing the deal.
Flycasters! Practice your casting now! I want you to catch fish on the fly! Practice now so when I put you inside of 40 feet from a crowd of 8-9 pound pigs rolling and wallowing in 7 inches of water you can deliver the fly to the target. They will likely eat your fly if you put it close to the right spot. They will not eat it if they can't see it! Seriously folks. It is a frustrating experience to see big reds so close and not get the hook up. Accurate and timely casting is the key. When I say frustrating, I mean for me and you. I don't get upset if the cast isn't there, I just hate to see my fishing pal's eyeballs bug out like a Volkswagon because he was throwing to hungry fish so close and not get a bite because of accuracy.
Productive trips this week using live shrimp under Cajun Thunders. We went through 22 dozen shrimp on Thursday. Reds galore with trout and ladyfish scattered throughout the day. The occasional 12-20 lb bonnet shark kept us all on our toes.
After a trip on Saturday I was on the way home when a guy pulls out from a stop sign at a busy intersection and t-bones my Maverick. Oh no. Didn't hit my truck. Smokes the Maverick on the port side and it blows off the trailer like I ran over a land mine. The trailer is trashed, the steering is broken and the bottom of the hull was eaten up pretty good by the asphault. Not to worry. My good friend Steve has loaned me his Hewes and the bay boat is good to go. The Maverick should be as good as new in a week or two.(No, the guy that hit me had no insurance.)
Weather and Lunar Phases
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